Assembler star wheel



y 1932- I s. E. SPERRY 1,858,119

- ASSEMBLER STAR WHEEL Filed Dec. 7, 1929 IN VEN TOR.

ATTORNEYS.

Patented May 10, 1932 UNITED STATES; PATENT OFFICE f SAMUEL E. SPER'RY, OF HOLLIS, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO INTERTYPE CORPORATION,

OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK ASSEMIBLER STAR WHEEL Application filed December 7, 1929. Serial No. 412,524.

The present invention relates to improvements in typographical machines and more especially to those of the class shown and described in U. S. Letters Patent No. 436,532 granted September 16, 1890, to O. Mergenthaler wherein matrices stored in a magazine are delivered therefrom to an assembling mechanism which forms the matrices and to accomplish this result, the star wheel should strike the under side of each matrix at or above the center of its height, but the star wheel usually employed in such machines is composed of a fiber block having circumferentially spaced recesses or depressions in its periphery which form blades the circumferential dimension of the ends of which are relatively wide, and since the curved recesses are shallow or fill out most of the spaces between the blades, the matrices dropping onto the star wheel do not descend to an extent which will cause the blade behind it to strike it at or about the center of its height and the circumferentially wide ends of the blades form relatively large ledges on which the bottoms of the matrices are liable to strike, either or both conditions bringing about the objectionable results that the lower ends of the matrices are sometimes thrown upwardly or outwardly, while the upper ends will not be thrown upright soon enough to prevent a following matrix striking or entering ahead of the delayed one so that a transposition may occur or the matrices may tumble into the line jerkingly and in inclined position and allow spacebands to strike and damage them or to fall in the line out of place, or the matrices,

may even be thrown entirely out of the assembler instead of being received in the line.

The primary object of the present invention is-to provide a novel and improved star wheel which will assure the proper introduc- 7 tion of the matrices into thematrix line and will avoid the above noted objections, the star wheel according to the present invention having blades which are relatively thin circumferentially and have relatively deep spaces or openings between them, so that lodging of the matrices on the tips of the blades is minimized and the matrices are allowed to drop sufliciently low in front of the star wheel to insure engagement of the blade behind it at a point at or above the center of the height of the matrix, thereby insuring swinging of'the matrices with certainty from inclined into upright positions Further objects are to provide a star wheel having blades composed of thin flexible material whichwillcushion or absorb shocks due to their striking the matrices and will cause the line to advance more evenly or without abruptness, and to provide novel means for mounting the blades on the star wheel shaftwhereby they may be readily removed and replaced when they become worn.

To these and other ends, the invention consists in certain improvements and combinations and arrangements of parts all as will be hereinafter more fully described, the fea tures of novelty being pointed out particularly in the claims at the end of the'specification.

In the accompanying drawings Fig. 1 represents a side elevation of the assembler of a typographical machine of well known form, the same being equipped with an assembler star wheel constructed in accordance with the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a detail diagrammatic view on an enlarged scale, showing the assembler star wheel and the adjacent assembler belt for delivering the matrices thereto, this figure showing a matrix in the act of dropping upon the outer end of one of the star wheel blades;

Fig. 3 is a view'silnilar to Fig. 2 but showing the matrix at a relatively lower position due to the further rotation of the star wheel as compared with its position shown in Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Figs. 2 and 3 but showing the matrix at a further position in its descent and showing the blade of the star wheel behind the matrix engaging the latter at its rear side and above the center of its height; V I

Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 2 but showing a space band in the act of being received by the assembler star wheel; and

Fig. 6 is a detailed collective view showing in perspective the blades composing the star wheel and the end of the star wheel shaft adapted to receive such blades.

Similar parts are designated by the same reference characters in the several figures.

The present invention is applicable generally to matrix assembling means for typographical machines of the general class in which circulating matrices are delivered successively to an assembling elevator or equivalent means and into which the matrices are introduced or stacked to form the matrix line, and in the embodiment of the invention herein shown, the invention is shown applied to a typographical machine of this general class as shown and described fully in the patent hereinbefore referred to. WVhile the preferred embodiment of the invention is shown, the invention is not restricted to the precise details illustrated, since equivalent constructions are contemplated and such will be included within the scope ofthe claims.

In the drawings 1 represents a portion of the main stationary frame of a typographical machine of the class shown and described in said patent, 2 represents the vertically movable assembling elevator as commonly used in machines of that class, it having a channel 3 at the top to receive a line of matrices M and space bands S at its right hand end so as to form a matrix line, 4 representing the usual assembler slide which operates in the channel 3 against the resistance of a weight 5 and is advanced ahead of the matrix line as the same is composed in the assembling elevator, and 6 represents the assembler belt which travels continuously in the direction indicated by the arrow and which passes around a pulley 7 at its lower end, this pulley being located opposite to the right hand or matrix entrance end of the channel 3 of the assembling elevator, the belt 6 which is inclined downwardly toward the assembling elevator receiving the matrices from channels 8 which are formed between guides or partitions 9 in the usual assembler entrance, and 10 represents the usual assembler chute bloc-k deflecting plate which is interposed between the matrix delivery end of the belt 6 and the assembler star wheel 11 and serves to direct the matrices as they discharge from the belt 6, on to the star wheel and 12 represents the usual assembler chute spring which is located above the deflecting plate 10 and directs the descending matrices discharging from the lower end of the belt 6 toward the star wheel. 13 represents the usual space band box in which the usual space bands S are stored and 14 represents the usual space band chute through which the space bands, released from the space band box, descend to the assembling mechanism to be introduced into the matrix line as it is formed in the assembling elevator. It will be understood that after the matrix line has been formed in the as-' with the usual star wheel shaft and is driven:

continuously in the usual manner and in the direction indicated by the arrow by well known means, during the operation of the assembling mechanism, and blades 16 which are attached to the shaft and project radially therefrom, the star wheel shaft being adapted to removably receive these blades. In the preferred construction, the blades 16 are composed of relatively thin bronze or other suitable flexible material such for example,as a fibrous material and preferably these blades are formed in pairs by bending the ends of strips of sheet metal or other material composing them in right-angular relation at:

points intermediate their ends, so that the:

ends of each strip forms two blades-arranged in right-angular relation, and the shaft 15 is: preferably adapted to removably receive the blades by forming it with slots 17 which are in right-angular relation and extend inwardly to a suitable depth to receive the blade forming members, one of these blade forming members being fitted into one pair of adjacently located angular slots 17 and the other blade forming member being fitted into the diametrically opposite pair of adjacently lo v cated right-angularly arranged slots 17, the apexes of the two blades forming members being directly opposite to one another. blade forming members when thus assembled by sliding them endwise into the slots 17 from the end of the shaft 15 present four blades which are arranged in right-angular relation around the circumference of the star wheel, these blades being of equal radial length, and when the blades become worn from use, they may be readily removed from the star wheel shaft by withdrawing them endwise in the slots 17 and the worn blades may be readily replaced by new ones.

In operation, the matrices delivered on to the belt 6 lie flatwise thereon with their lowor edges foremost and when the matrices which are conveyed downwardly and to the assembler by the belt reach the chutespring The 12 they are deflected downwardly toward the star wheel, the deflecting plate 10 the lower end of which straddles the star wheel preventing dropping of the matrices between the star wheel and the lower end of the belt. A matrix may occasionally first strike the star wheel on the tip or outer edge of one of the blades as shown in Fig. 2, although such engagement of the matrices with the improved star wheel is minimized owing to the small circumferential thickness of the blades which are composed of relatively thin or sheet metal, but since the star wheel is revolving continuously in the direction indicated by the arrow, the star wheel will rapidly rotate into the position shown in Fig. 3 where the lower end of the matrix rests against a side of one of the blades in the space between such blade and the next following blade, and the matrices will be more frequently received initially by the star wheel in the position shown in Fig. 3. The continued rotation of the star wheel will carry it from the position shown in Fig. 3 to that shown in Fig. 4, the descent of the star wheel blade engaged by the lower end of the matrix causing the matrix to descend to an extent which will cause the next following blade of the star wheel to engage the rear under side of the matrix at a point at or above the center of its height, and as the rotation of the star wheel continues, this blade of the star wheel will swing the upper end of the matrix toward the left or toward the matrix line in the assembling elevator, thus bringing the matrix into upright position, and the final action of the star wheel on this matrix forces it into the line, the assembler slide 4 receding against the action of the weight 5 as the line advances to accommodate the added matrix. The space bands S, when released from the space band box 13, drop through the chute 14 and their lower ends strike upon one of the blades of the star wheel in the deep or wide space between adjacent blades and near the center of rotation of the star wheel, as shown in Fig. 5, the continued rotation of the star wheel throwing the space hand against the line of matrices already received in the assembling elevator.

Since the improved star wheel provides blades which are relatively thin in circumferential dimension and form deep spaces or recesses between them for the reception of the lower ends of the matrices, it will be evident that the matrices, whether they are initially received by the star wheel in the manner shown in Figs. 2, 3 or 4, are allowed to descend to an extent suflicient to cause the next following blade of the star wheel to engage the rear or under side of the matrix at a level at or above the center of the height of the matrix, in consequence of which the continued rotation of the star wheel will cause the upper end of the matrix to be swung toward the line to bring the matrix into upright position, thus avoiding any tendency of the star wheel to throw the matrix above the line or to tumble the matrix so that it hesitates and does not properly enter the line, the thin blades together with their parallel opposite sides in the improved star wheel avoiding deflection of the matrices out of or away from the star wheel and by forming the blades of the star wheel or resilient material, the blades will yield when they receive the matrices or engage the matrices to throw them into the line and thereby absorb shock due to the impact and the blades will bend or flex slightly as they act upon the matrices to push them into the line and advance the line, with the advantage that the advance of the matrix line in course of assemblin is more even or less abrupt and the blades will not wear out so fast as is the case with star wheels of the kind heretofore used generally.

I claim as my invention 1. An assembler star wheel for typographical machines comprising a. shaft and relativelythin parallel-sided flexible blades detachably secured thereto and extending outwardly from and exposed beyond the peripheral surface of said shaft.

2. An assembler star wheel for typographical machines comprising a shaft having intersecting slots therein, and flexible blade members bent angularly and removably inserted in said slots in the shaft.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

SAMUEL E. SPERRY. 

